Acute effect of aerobic exercise on brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in patients with chronic heart failure

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), known for its pivotal role in neuroplasticity, has emerged as a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for chronic heart failure (CHF). BDNF, through its interaction with the tropomyosin-related kinase receptor B (TrkB), has been linked with the pathogenesis of various cardiovascular diseases, including coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, and hypertension. Patients with CHF exhibit diminished BDNF levels compared to their healthy counterparts. Notably, exercise has been shown to elevate BDNF levels in healthy individuals. However, no study has explored the potential effects of acute exercise on BDNF levels in patients with CHF. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to analyse the acute effect of aerobic exercise on BDNF levels in patients with CHF. Additionally, we investigated the influence of different patient characteristics (e.g., age, weight, and cardiorespiratory fitness) and exercise variables (e.g., duration) on BDNF concentrations. Eleven patients (53.2 ± 5.5 years; seven males) with CHF were finally included. BDNF levels were measured before and immediately after a cardiopulmonary exercise test on a cycle ergometer. Paired t-test, mean change with its 95% confidence interval (CI), and Pearson correlation were used to conduct statistical analyses. Moreover, Mann-Whitney U test was used to carry out between-group comparisons (e.g., sex) in changes in BDNF. Correlations were interpreted as weak (< 0.30), low (0.30 – 0.49), moderate (0.50 – 0.69), strong (0.70 – 0.89), or very strong (> 0.90). The findings showed a statistically significant increase (p = .005) in BDNF levels of 320.7 (CI = 136.4, 505.1) pg·ml-1. No differences were found between male and female patients (p = .269). Moreover, a moderate yet non-significant negative correlation was observed between the acute exercise-induced effect on BDNF levels and patients’ weight (r = –0.593; p = .054) and body mass index (BMI) (r = –0.530; p = .094). Aerobic exercise acutely increases BDNF levels in male and female patients with CHF. Further studies are required to determine the influence of patient characteristics (i.e., weight and BMI).